If I reply to an email, can I say I revert to you? Does "revert" have any meaning related to "reply( to an inquiry)"?

A contact wrote in reply to my email:"I'll revert to you, if need be." And I found the "revert" was a little off to my ear. I saw little of such uses, except another time quite a while ago and the then author seemed from the same region.

I’m learning English. If u find anywhere I can improve my composition, Pls do let me know. Bow.

Hello, callithump. Revert is a very formal word. It has a technical legal meaning, but in this sort of context it just means "I'll reply to you again later."

People usually use it when, for example, they don't have the information you want so they'll have to look for it first, or if they will need to contact you again after taking some action.

Bingley

I would say that hardly anyone would understand what you meant if you used 'revert' in that way. The standard meaning of 'revert' is 'to return to a previous state'. The legal sense, according to the AHD, is to return to the original owner. Thus, a court may decided to revert stolen property to the original owner even though the property has gone through a number of otherwise perfectly legal transferences of ownership, e.g., a work of art stolen by an invading army, recovered by liberating troops, and donated to an art museum.

Use 'reply' if being formal, or 'get back to you' if informal.

I agree with Faldage. I would only say I'll revert to you if . . .nope that won't work either. Your ear was right Calli

to revert stolen property to the original owner Hey, Faldage, how come you didn't say to revert back stolen property to the original owner, or to revert stolen property back to the original owner ?

"will revert to you" gets 5860 google hits. Judging by the first few pages, most of them seem to mean "contact you again".

In the legal sense, it seems to be more common that property/rights revert to the original owner, rather than the court reverts the property/rights to the original owner.

Bingley

say to revert back stolen property to the original owner

Because there wasn't anything in the AHD definition that suggested use of the word back.

property/rights revert to the original owner, rather than the court reverts the property/rights

My bad. I didn't read close enough to note that it was an intransitive verb.

Because there wasn't anything in the AHD definition that suggested use of the word back.


Isn't the notion of "back" implicit in the word? You wouldn't say "return back." Back is redundant.

That's what I thought, Nancy. The same reason we don't say reply back. So--why on earth have some people started saying return back?!?

why on earth have some people started saying return back?!?

Because the world is going mad. Mad, I tell you!
The precise use of English is becoming a lost art - except here of course.
Revert ( a word with a precise legal definition) being used instead of reply (common useage) is the thin edge of the wedge!
Mad, I tell you, Mad!

I've never heard the word used in exactly that sense.

I've never looked up the definition, but I have used it an heard it used to mean that one falls back to a prior state.

"If I can't figure out an analytic (closed-form) solution, I'll revert to numerical methods."

"He tried to touch-type, but he continually reverted to using two fingers."

"Certain characteristics of some members of the mouse population reverted to atavistic forms."

I'm not sure these are correct, but that's the way I've seen it used.

They all sound right to me, FF. Can't say I've heard it used much legally, but in everyday speech, your examples fit my experience.

Back is redundant.

You people act like redundancy were some sort of absolute evil. You don't complain about the phrase "three books" being redundant, or subject-verb agreement being redundant. No, that you like. Why is it all over sudden bad when someone says, "return back"?

all over sudden
I would have said "all of a sudden". Is this a neologism, a regionalism or just a faldagism?

Actual, I got it from Pogo. I have heard "all of the sudden" in the wild.

I could never really make sense of all of a/the/over sudden, so I usually revert *back to suddenly, or make something up.

Must...restrain...fist...of death...

Jackie, don't start hitting Oliver Sudden!

how come you didn't say to revert back stolen property to the original owner, or to revert stolen property back to the original owner ?

My guess, Jackie, is that he has found the muzzle-loading tautologer awkward and obtrusive. How come do you ask?

> Must...restrain...fist...of death...

Just go lay down for a while, until you've reorientated yourself. You'll feel much better.

Why is it all over sudden bad when someone says, "return back"?
Unless it is used for reinforcement or emphasis, tautology breeds ridicule and contempt, diminishing credibility. It sullies the credentials of anyone attempting to appear learned. However, to those who don't recognize the redundancy, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.

The operative words being "appear learned?" :) ;)

Just go lay down for a while, until you've reorientated yourself. ...And the penny drops. No wonder I've thought you didn't like me.

how come you didn't say to revert back stolen property to the original owner, or to revert stolen property back to the original owner ?

My guess, Jackie, is that he has found the muzzle-loading tautologer awkward and obtrusive. How come do you ask? I was playing devil's advocate, Mr. Neat. Trying to encourage discussion, is all. Well, that plus the fact that I grit my teeth when I hear the phrase 'return back'.